Israel’s newly elected Knesset will be inaugurated on Tuesday, marking the first opportunity for opposition parties to gain control of parliamentary mechanisms as they attempt to form an alternative government to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A central focus will be replacing the current speaker, Amir Ohana, who is closely aligned with Netanyahu and exercises significant control over the legislature’s agenda.
Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who recently received a mandate to form a coalition government, may assume the speaker position himself, according to reports. The opposition holds 67 seats in the 120-seat legislature, providing sufficient numbers to install a consensus candidate for speaker. More than 160 retired security officials warned of potential violent disruptions to the swearing-in ceremony, citing plans by rightwing activists opposed to replacing the speaker.
Formidable obstacles confront opposition efforts despite their shared goal of removing Netanyahu. Jewish-Israeli opposition parties within the broader “change” bloc have refused to sit with Palestinian-led parties, which hold over one-quarter of the bloc’s combined seats and control approximately 19 parliamentary seats. Without Palestinian-led party support, the opposition falls short of a majority. Eisenkot has pledged to construct a national emergency government through “creative and unconventional political acts” and acknowledged that campaign promises will require compromise.
Meanwhile, rightwing opposition figure Avigdor Lieberman has pursued an alternative coalition strategy by seeking alignment with ultra-Orthodox parties frustrated with Netanyahu’s failure to implement promised military draft exemptions. The ultra-Orthodox community has historically supported Netanyahu but appears potentially open to negotiations with Lieberman despite his previous opposition to their interests.
Strategic timing considerations may influence government formation timing, with some opposition figures preferring to replace the speaker before announcing coalition deals to prevent Netanyahu from exploiting the interim period to destabilize agreements. Political analysts suggest that once an alternative government achieves power, its stability would increase significantly even if it holds a minority status, making it substantially more difficult for Netanyahu to reassert control.
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